General Stores for sale in South Africa

Verify zoning, trading permission and any municipal business licence. If food is stored or sold, check the Certificate of Acceptability and its scope, then establish which approvals must be updated or reapplied for under new ownership.

Review liquor, tobacco, lottery, prepaid services, pesticides and other controlled activities separately. Confirm licences, retailer agreements, age controls and operating conditions, because approval for the premises or seller may not automatically transfer to you.

Sample shelf and till prices for consistency, including promotions and multiple displayed prices. Inspect trade scales and quantity declarations for bulk or repacked goods, and review complaints involving short weight, incorrect prices or misleading product descriptions.

Count by SKU, location, expiry, condition and ownership. Separate food, household, electrical, clothing and seasonal lines, then discount damaged, obsolete, noncompliant, short-dated or slow stock rather than applying one percentage across the entire store.

Reconcile airtime, utilities, money services, lottery and agency transactions to provider statements and settlement accounts. Confirm terminals and agreements can transfer, and separate commission income from customer funds, reversals, shortages and supplier deposits.

Calculate sales and margin by product group, day and payment method after shrinkage, expiry, card fees, security and electricity. Reconcile purchases to stock and deposits, then include realistic owner wages and backup-power costs.